Watch CBS News

South Shore Drill Team To March At Chicago Football Classic

CHICAGO (CBS) -- After skipping the Bud Billiken Parade on Saturday, the South Shore Drill team will march again next month, when the annual Chicago Football Classic returns to Soldier Field.

The matchup between two historically black colleges will be played on Sept. 10. This year Clark Atlanta University will take on Central State University.

Larry Huggins, construction executive and founder of the Chicago Football Classic, said the South Shore Drill Team was a last-minute addition to the entertainment schedule.

"We had to invite the South Shore Drill Team to come and perform here at historic Soldier Field.," he said.

Podcast

South Shore Drill Team president Dr. Clifton Underwood said it was a teachable moment this year when the Bud Billiken Parade set new limits on the number of marchers allowed per marching group. The limit was set at 100 people per group, but with nearly 170 members, the drill team decided not to join the parade this year, because they didn't want to tell so many kids they couldn't perform.

"Although there are some disappointments in your life, or whatever, you don't fall down and stay down. You get up," he said.

The South Shore Drill Team was a staple at the Bud Billiken Parade for years before the new size limit was imposed. Parade organizers said the event had become too large – lasting nearly six hours – and they needed to bring it under control.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.